LEGION BASEBALL: Zone 6 vs. 10 All-Star Game a success

Saturday was not a typical summer afternoon at Rockland Memorial Stadium.

Fifty high school-aged baseball players played in the annual American Legion All-Star games between Zone 6 and Zone 10.

“I think it is cool to play with the kids from the town in front of the college coaches and try to impress them,” Rockland Post 147 infielder James Dolan, who played on Archbishop Williams Division 4 State finalist team as a junior. “I just try to play my game and have some fun and do my best.”

Dolan, Liam Flynn, Gavyn White and Jonathan Baar were the other Post 147 players selected to the Zone 10 West team.

“I just want to get some reps and show some of the scouts what I can do,” said Marshfield Post 88 first baseman and pitcher Josh Eastman. “I went up to the plate relaxed and not worried about anything. It is cool to go out and show what I can do.”

Eastman is already set for the next level as the recent Marshfield High graduate is headed to Southern New Hampshire. He used the day to have some fun and work on his game as he got to play on the Zone 10 West team with teammates Sam Crawford and Mike Cantanoso.

However, for Dolan and many others it was a time to shine in front of local collegiate coaches.

The coaches got a chance to chart the attributes of the players. There were coaches with radar guns and stopwatches scouting the local talent.

The first of the two All-Star games had Zone 6 East take on Zone 10 East. Zone 6 East team was made up of players from Milton, Weymouth, Cohasset, Quincy (Morrisette), Canton, Cohasset, Holbrook and Braintree, while Zone 10 East was Barnstable, Wareham, Kingston, Sandwich, Orleans, Bridgewater and Plymouth.

The second game was Zone 6 West, which has Walpole, Franklin, Medfield, Norwood, Norfolk and Foxboro against Zone 10 West - Brockton, Hanover, Marshfield, Rockland, East Bridgewater, Whitman and Pembroke are the teams in Zone 10 West.

The two nine-inning games were set up to allow the coaching staffs to let players get time at their positions for at least an inning or two.

The pitchers are allowed one inning and had a 30-pitch maximum. A 10-man lineup can be used with a designated hitter and free substitution is allowed.

“This is a good experience to play in front of a lot of college coaches,” Weymouth pitcher and first baseman Kevin McGrath said. “It is good exposure for the players.

“It was fun meeting new players and making friends.”

He was joined on the team by Weymouth teammate and catcher T.J. Keefe.

McGrath pitched an inning and also delivered a two-run single when he moved to first base.

Hanover Post 149 is in the middle of fighting for a spot in the Zone 10 playoffs and Aidan Henderson has been one of their key players. Post 149 also had Billy Cleaves, Ryan Hennessey and Kyle Sylvester selected to the Zone 10 West team.

“It is a real cool experience playing in the game,” Henderson said. “It is really fun, we are pretty close in making the playoffs. If we win out we have a chance to make the playoffs.”

Henderson had a three-hit, four-RBI game against Marshfield in a 7-1 win.

Hanover had two of its remaining four games against Rockland which is also in the hunt for a playoff spot.

The players do wonder if they impressed the collegiate scouts on hand.

Some admitted they took a quick a peak into the stands to see if they came up with something positive.

“I looked up a little bit,” Henderson said, “but not too much. I am here to have fun and play the game.”

“You look maybe at one time and see if a college coach is looking at me,” McGrath said.

“You always try to play as hard as you can and as well as you can,” Dolan said. “You do not let anything distract you.